Assembly Notes /Getting Started (A) page 6
Instructions for Kit #B 1925
Identify and label all of the parts
Preassemble the Foundation, Rear Roof, Stairs, Postbases
Finish the floors,
Paint everything* one coat (see page 11)
Sand everything until the paint is smooth, transparent,
and some of the wood is showing through
Build the housebody up to the Roof
Second-coat the Walls
Mark, paint, and attach the Roofs
(don’t glue on the Rear Roof yet)
Optional: Start the wiring
Foundation
Install the Dividers
Optional: Finish the wiring
Assemble and finish painting everything else
Finish the Attic - attach the Rear Roof
Finish the outside
Finish the inside
Assembly Tips:
A large, clutter-free, well-lighted work area is helpful
during assembly, but a flat work surface is essential.
Read the instructions
carefully; look at each of the
illustrations.
!With the parts in your hands!
, think the
assembly through before you proceed.
Test fit
each time you are ready to glue a piece in
place...then you’ll know you have it right.
If more tape or a helper is needed, it’s good to know
that before the parts have glue on them.
Don’t be stingy with glue or tape;
use generous
amounts. Always wipe off excess glue immediately.
Keep one damp rag and one dry rag handy all the time.
Have weights available
for holding things tight as
glue joints dry (stacks of books, gallons of pure Ver-
mont Maple Syrup - anything heavy).
Glue the body of your dollhouse together
with
white, water clean-up glue that dries clear. Do not use
instant-bond (super glue), fast-tack, rubber cement,
silicone, or hot melt glues. They are all used in some
wood applications, but they all have some characteris-
tic that makes them un-desirable for the body of your
dollhouse. Carpenter Glue works well, but glue-smear
dries yellow or tan; many of the things you glue onto
the house are pre-painted – extra glue will show.
I use Aleene’s Tacky Glue®
for housebody assembly
(available at www.realgoodtoys.com).
Make sure everything is straight and flat as glue
dries
... That’s the shape that will be permanent.
Q: Can I wallpaper before I assemble the doll house?
A: Yes you can (it’s your house!) Many experienced builders
are advocates of papering before construction - I am not.
My biggest objection to papering first is that you are always
too skimpy with glue so none will squeeze out and get on the
paper. I try to use the amount of glue that fills the joint, so
some will squeeze out in every joint and be wiped up. But
wiping glue off of wallpaper leaves a streak, so the tempta-
tion is to go skimpy, and the joints aren’t as strong.
Second, I can always tell a house that was pre-papered
because the corners show a void instead of being continuous
(see the slideshows about how to crowd the papers together
in the corner... you can’t do that with pre-papered walls).
Third, I have had to replace paper too often that has gotten
damaged by glue or tape during construction... that wastes
time and paper ($) and can make it so you are left deciding
whether to replace a damaged paper or letting it slide because
you don’t have any more of that pattern and you’ll have to
order it and that takes too much time (running out but then
needing another piece is a distressing moment).
Finally, I don’t find pre-papering to be faster. By the time I
have done all of the extra planning that getting the papers in
the right place requires, I have used up any potential advan-
tage. I have great big blacksmith’s hands, and papering in a
finished house is easy for me.
All that having been said, I do pre-cut the papers used in the
attic before attaching the Roofs.
Glue the shingles on
with glue that doesn’t have any water
in it! If the glue says ”water clean-up”, it will curl the wooden
shingles. Look carefully at the glue you intend to use to be
sure it is solvent-based, or use hot-melt glue (use the high
temp version and watch out for the burns). I use a “Sub-Floor
Adhesive” glue which comes in a caulking-gun tube at the
hardware or building supply store. It says “Caution: Flamma-
ble” on the front, and that’s how I am sure it is
solvent based
.
Check ingredients and warnings!
If you Wallpaper
,
use Grandma Stover’s
www.realgoodtoys.com
or pre-mixed Roman’s “Border” paste.
Brush paste on the wallpaper, then the wall, and finally
smooth the wallpaper into position.
Taking things apart:
Heat softens glue. If you have to take
things apart, warm the part in the oven at 170
o
for up to a half
hour to let the heat get into the joint where the glue is. Don’t let
it get hotter than you can touch or the paint may scorch. Don’t
heat window panes. www.realgoodtoys.help has more info.
When glue is drying,
skip ahead to up-coming assembly
steps and prepare the parts that will be used.
Before you begin, read the “Finish the Inside”
section at
the end of these instructions.
Overview of the Build:
Details of each step will be expanded along the way, but lots
of folks like to see how it all fits together before they start
Slideshows, demos, useful links, details, and photos are all at:
www.realgoodtoys.help
Wiring? www.realgoodtoys.help
for wiring information specific to this house.
*avoid painting grooves, edges, and surfaces that will be glued (like the outside of the roofs)